


Spies Are Forever : Perfectly Foiled

by ErkmaRazerswii



Category: Spies Are Forever - Talkfine/Tin Can Brothers
Genre: Not fiction, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErkmaRazerswii/pseuds/ErkmaRazerswii
Summary: Not a work of fiction, just love Sergio.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Spies Are Forever : Perfectly Foiled

Spy movies, shows, and books have featured many beloved and iconic characters. _Casino Royale_ has James Bond. _The Bourne Identity_ has Jason Bourne. _Mission Impossible_ has Ethan Hunt. _Spies Are Forever_ has Sergio Santos.

  
No, no, no. The main character of _Spies Are Forever_ is Curt Mega, a closeted gay man once a reckless young agent turned a broken and tragic figure by the death of his lover. Curt Mega is a lovely person and a progressive twist on the classic spy protagonist, but the fan-favourite has to be Sergio.

  
Sergio exists only for one scene, a single solitary scene, yet he makes an impact on the audience. Even more surprising, after his scene ends the audience isn’t left wanting or asking for more. Why? Because he has served his role perfectly in the way laminar flow dictates a mathematically satisfying current in a water fountain. Basically, Sergio belongs in r/oddlysatisfying, that describes our Sergio.

  
The scene opens with three unnamed characters. They are skulking together on stage right, waiting impatiently for a man, this man is Sergio. Two are short and wear beige trench-coats and beige caps. The third wears niether, he looks like a Jason Statham-type character, he has his weapons strapped to himself. If the person watching looks at him closely before the scene quickly progresses they would notice he’s sharpening his knife on his own gun, and find it almost as silly as their English-accents-of-ever-changing-origin. No time for that though, Sergio appears.

  
But before I talk about Sergio, notice none of these characters have names, only Sergio has a name. In fact, unknown to the audience, he has a first and last name. The two trench-coat characters lack distinction or stand-out features and are played by two of the supporting actresses which signifies how “throw-away” they are. Their design helps the third character stand out a little but he is still one of them.

  
Sergio bursts in excitedly rambling mundane excuses and pauses only a moment at the contrasting atmosphere of the three other men coldly staring him down. He counters with a song: _Somebody’s Gotta Do It._

  
In the song he continues to apologize in his happy off-handed way and in explaining himself he introduces his character. He is a man with a lot on his plate, trying to juggle work and life, they can relate right? See, tonight is not only date-night, but his wedding anniversary, and he wants to do good by his wife (by picking up two-dozen Montecados and Provalones from her favourite bakery). As an arms dealer he may seem “tough” and “scary” but he’s actually “shy” and a loving family man. He does crime to act as a provider and as “bombs don’t sell themselves” somebody’s gotta do it. This is just his job.

  
~~Jason Statham~~ _The third man_ directs him back to the business at hand. Sergio sort-of follows him but then launches into a second verse trying to get an autograph for his nephew Marco which the third man immediately interrupts, focused on the deal. In his normal voice Sergio persists, saying his nephew would never believe him if he told him he did business with the Deadliest Man Alive (and company). This is the first time the third man’s name is said out loud.

  
DMA (the deadliest man alive) shouts Sergio’s name to silence his jabbering and then growls he “would be honoured” to give an autograph. The two step aside and the scene moves to the other two characters on stage.

  
Henchman #1 and Henchman #2 are also known as the “and company” half of the relationship. #1 gripes about the disparagement he is treated with in comparison with DMA, revealing he himself has killed almost as many people. To even the score, he kills #2, intruding himself to Sergio as one of the two Deadliest Men Alive.

  
Sergio, perhaps a little nervous and struggling to treat murder as a casual occurrence like the two mercenaries, attempts to play up the mistaken notion of #1 and DMA being friends, and partners, and it all being goo- DMA plunges his knife into #1’s throat. Sergio involuntarily cries out in surprise.

  
DMA doesn’t seem to notice, he’s too self-satisfied, and as he begins singing the real second verse of _Somebody’s Gotta Do It_ it finally becomes apparent we are looking at _the bad guy_. Can’t Sergio (the audience) see how much he enjoys this? This is his calling and though it’s appalling he finds it fulfilling to kill. He would even do it for free. He is a sick man.

  
Poor Sergio, he’s all alone with this guy. DMA is everything he couldn’t imagine himself being. Ruthless, sadistic, unfeeling, relishing in blood and death, the end to another’s life. He is his opposite, his foil. Or, rather, Sergio is _DMA’s foil_. And thus the entire purpose of Sergio’s character is revealed.

  
A foil is a character who contrasts with another character to highlight qualities of the other character. The term comes from the old practice of backing gems with foil to make them shine more brightly (Wikipedia). Imagine the scene without Sergio, or Sergio without any character at all, instead being named Arms Dealer and appearing in his own beige trench coat with a beige cap. The scene would unfold like this sentence: three men are waiting to buy a bomb, a fourth man arrives with a bomb, he deals with one of the men in particular, one of the other two men kills the other to be equal to the favoured man, the favoured man kills that man, he remains the deadliest man alive, he and the arms dealer move on, the end.

  
A bit like shovelling sugarless, cinnamonless, raisinless, oatmeal into our mouths. Just mush, just mouths full of mush for the whole meal. Can you feel it? _Smack smack smack smack…_

  
Sergio is the perfect example of the proper use of a foil as a literary device. He’s flavourful, three-dimensional, with his own motivations for what he does and shows how he gets along by relying heavily on being personable, charming, and going with the flow as a survival strategy. He acts and reacts like a regular guy; the audience empathizes with him so much they fear for him when he’s being threatened by DMA. They feel his danger. DMA is _dangerous_ because Sergio is basically _harmless_.

  
Sergio’s character carries the scene until the appearance of Curt and Tatiana and as his purpose is fulfilled he is permitted to escape with his baked goods. The audience is relieved, satisfied, and move on without any burning questions. No other character executed their job better than Sergio throughout the play and therefore he holds the mantle of best character with firm footing.

  
Last line from Sergio: _“Have a good one alright!”_


End file.
